1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to supplemental units for improving energy utilization. More specifically, this invention relates to a solar energy supplemental unit that is self contained and useful in supplementing the conventional sources of energy for small buildings and the like.
2. Background of the Invention
The prior art has seen the development of the wide variety of supplemental units for augmenting conventional sources of energy. Recently, the use of solar energy has come to the forefront of this technology. The following list of U.S. Pat. Nos. are illustrative of this technology.
U.S. 2,584,573 shows a basement structure for storing heat from a heat pump in moderate weather for use in cold weather.
U.S. 3,369,541 shows a solar energy collector with heat stored in water in a tank in a heat storage bin having stones. Air is circulated about the tank and stones.
U.S. 3,815,574 shows a box containing sand or iron oxide that is employed to accumulate energy from the sun. Water is flowed therethrough to pick up the heat.
U.S. 3,985,119 shows a parabolic reflector with a primary heating coil and a green house type enclosure with preheat coils in the back.
U.S. 3,993,041 describes heating air and circulating it through a vault with sand and the like to amplify the heating of the air and thence to a steam generator.
This area has become a crowded art. It is likely to become more so. While these innovations in the prior art have been useful, even in the crowded art they have not been totally satisfactory in providing a supplemental unit that can be transported to a local situs and employed without significantly altering the architure of the small building such as the home or the like and without taking up significant interior space within the small building.